Media is Corrupt

[pkbtan]

My series 3 main and backup batteries have been low for some time but as I had been using mains power I ignored warnings. Also, my data is stored on an SSD which I thought could not be corrupted. Unfortunately I now realise that it requires minimal power from the main batteries and I am now getting "Media is corrupt" messages and am unable to access it. I have left the mains power on overnight in the hope of powering it but to no avail. Can anyone help please - years of data on it. Thanks.

[Jim Cooke]

Are you using a RAM SSD or a FLASH SSD? It should say which it is right on the card. If it's a RAM SSD, there's a small lithium battery that maintains the power of the SSD. If that battery went flat, all your data went with it. You'd have to get a new lithium battery and then reformat the FLASH SSD, That should make it useable again but it won't have any of your data on it.

If it's a RAM SSD then the battery state of the Psion shouldn't matter - the storage is non-volatile and will last for years with no power.

Let us know what type of SSD card you have so we can proceed from there. I'm sure this has already crossed your mind but did you not have time during all those years to make even one backup of your SSD?

[pkbtan]

Thanks for your reply Jim. The SSD is RAM disk.
Peter

ps Did not backup because someone told me that the data on disk cannot be lost - hope he's right.

[MikeMcC]

Did not backup because someone told me that the data on disk cannot be lost - hope he's right.Unfortunately, he's not right. With a RAM SSD, the data only remains intact while it receives power from the Series 3 device or, if out of the Psion, from its own battery. If both of these power sources fail, the data is lost. Flash SSDs retain data without the need for power.

It is extremely unfortunate if you have lost data despite having mains power connected but, if the batteries were dead, a momentary loss of the mains power would be all that was necessary for the data to be lost.

The only possible thing you can try, if it is a corruption problem with the Psion rather than a loss of data with the SSD, is a soft reset. However, I would urge that before doing anything else, you ensure mains power is connected and replace both main and backup (CR1620) batteries.

As soon as possible, you should also replace the CR1620 battery in the RAM SSD but, if it does contain data, back that up before removing the SSD.

[Jim Cooke]

As you can tell from my rather confusing message, I was getting FLASH and RAM crossed up. It's the FLASH SSD that doesn't need power. As I kind of got half right :), The RAM SSD is maintained first by the power in the Series 3 and then by a backup in the RAM SSD. As Mike wrote, you should replace the operating batteries in your S3 and then try a soft reset. It's very likely that the lithium backup cell in the SSD also died and even a second's loss of mains power would then cause the SSD to be erased. That' one of the reasons it's important to keep all the batteries up to snuff even when you have mains power.

Even if you've lost all the data on the SSD, you can replace the backup battery in the SSD and reformat it so it will still be useable. Obviously, you've now learned that nothing takes the place of a good backup, regardless of what someone tells you.:(

[pkbtan]

Thanks for the advice Mike. Have tried soft reset but alas no joy. Looks like it I'll be busy re-entering data over the next couple of months!
Peter